Meet the Ambassadors

The STLCOP Student Admissions Ambassadors are a group of students that serve as hosts to prospective students and families, and provide campus tours. As current students, they are able to answer questions and their personal experiences to give you a sense of what it's really like here on campus.

Why did you choose STLCOP? I chose STLCOP because it is a historical and well-known pharmacy school. Pharmacists all over the country look to STLCOP for pharmacy advancements and innovations.

Favorite Class: Chemistry 1-4 series

Best part about STLCOP: The best part about STLCOP is the feeling of community and family that the College gives all of its students.

Advice for Incoming Students: My advice to incoming students would be to work hard, but don't forget to enjoy everything that STLCOP has to offer.

Why did you get involved in the student ambassador program? I became involved in the student ambassador organization because the people who made me want to attend STLCOP were the students who gave me my first tour of campus. They were so friendly and only had positive things to say about the college. As a student, I fell in love with the college and wanted to help other prospective students make the right decision to choose St. Louis College of Pharmacy.

What are your career goals? My current career goals are to obtain a residency that specializes in geriatrics after I graduate from STLCOP.

Why do you want to be a pharmacist? It will give me the opportunity to help others while still being able to manage a future family. I also have always been interested in health care in various settings, but I was really attracted to learning more about how medications work inside of the body.

Why did you choose STLCOP? I fell in love with STLCOP instantly, I didn’t even apply anywhere else. I loved the community, faculty, staff, fellow students, organizations, and the opportunities offered by the College.

Favorite class: Biology

Why did you get involved in the student ambassador program? When I was first touring campus as a high school senior, it was a student ambassador who talked to my mom and I for nearly two hours answering all of our questions patiently. By joining this program, I hope to help someone else out in the same way.

Do you live in the residence hall? Living on campus is great because it’s like being surrounded by your second family. You can go down the hall and stay up late watching movies with your neighbor or lean on them for help with homework. It’s just great having people around for support because everyone shares some of the same challenges and worries.

What is your favorite hobby? I absolutely love to paint, especially landscape paintings.

Why did you choose STLCOP? I liked that STLCOP is solely focused on pharmacy and was direct entry into the program instead of having to stress over taking the PCAT. I also like that even the general education classes have a little bit of pharmacy applications incorporated into them.

Best part about STLCOP: Having such a small campus so it’s easier to quickly get to different classes, but it’s also nice because we are like a family here and everyone wants to see each other succeed. It’s also really nice because no matter what you need, you will always have a support system to fall back on and get help from.

Advice for incoming students: Don’t get overwhelmed with how much you have to do. Break everything into chunks, study a little bit every day, take good notes, form good study groups, and relax. Find a good balance between having fun and doing school work. Don’t become easily discouraged!

If you had a superpower, what would it be? If I had a superpower it would be the ability to read a person’s mind. I would want this superpower so I could know when something is bothering someone and help them out when they need help or support.

What is the most important thing that you want to be remembered for? The most important thing I want to be remembered for is always having a positive outlook on life. I also want to be remembered for giving good advice and being there for people when they need me.

Why do you want to be a pharmacist? I want to become a pharmacist because my passion for this specialization of health care has inspired me to delve into advocating for the appropriate uses and potential benefits of possible life-saving medications.

Best part about STLCOP: The best part about STLCOP is the ability to be involved in so many aspects of the College.

Future career plans: I hope to attain a residency and specialize in oncology. If not, I hope to be able to pursue a position in the pharmaceutical industry.

Advice for incoming students: My advice for incoming students is to come out of your shell and try new things in college!

How does getting involved complement your studies? Being involved gives me a good outlet outside the realm of the classroom. It lets me pursue my passions and other interests that the confinements of a classroom wouldn’t necessarily encompass.

Why did you choose STLCOP? I chose STLCOP because I love the close-knit community that the school embodies, vast amount of opportunities, and location being of next to prestigious hospitals.

Future career plans: I hope to obtain a residency to specialize in either diabetes or some sort of other pharmaceutical specialization (which I haven’t exactly decided upon). I may possibly pursue my MBA, but that would be if I realize that want to stand out more in the business of pharmacy.

What is your favorite hobby? I love to make art in all types of mediums.

Where is your favorite place to eat in Central West End? Tutti Frutti

Steven Zou, Sophomore Hometown: St. Louis, MO

Languages: Mandarin

Activities: Campus Crusade for Christ, Student Government Association

Future career plans: I would like to pursue an emphasis in nuclear pharmacy or oncology pharmacy.

What’s your favorite memory about a STLCOP faculty member? When Dr. Zebroski (history professor) did an impression of Jay-Z and Rihanna in the same day and showed us a video on the entire history of the French Revolution with Lady Gaga lyrics.

What is your favorite thing to do for fun? I really like to go jogging outside and that has lend itself to my passion of running marathons. I have completed my first half-marathon in the spring of 2015 and I am planning to train for the Go STL full-marathon for the spring of 2016. I also spend a lot of time on Netflix, binge watching shows like “Gracie and Frankie” and “Orange is the New Black.”

What is your favorite campus meal? This is a hard one, but it would have to be the omelets that the Café makes in the morning. There are so many ways that you can customize your omelets that every time I order one, it is always slightly different.

Professional Ambassadors

Why do you want to be a pharmacist? I always knew my heart belonged in the medical field. After becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA). I realized that the nursing path was not for me. I then began volunteering as a pharmacy tech in a local hospital back home and I instantly realized that pharmacy was a bright light in my future.

Why did you choose STLCOP? Out of all of the schools I looked for, even compared to local schools, STLCOP offered the best education plan fitted for my lifestyle, along with the student to professor ratio.

Favorite class: Pharmacy Care OTC/Drug Information

Advice for incoming students: My advice for incoming students is to join clubs and become involved because it is important to establish relationships that you will be able to carry out throughout your experience here at STLCOP.

Best part about STLCOP: The best part of STLCOP is that everyone helps each other.

Future career plans: Clinical Pharmacy

How do you balance the demands of pharmacy school and still find time to enjoy extracurricular activities? I learned to balance my time between the demands of pharmacy school and extracurricular activities. I advise incoming student to learn time management because it helps so much!

What is your favorite campus meal? Firehouse Burger

Where do you get the best view on campus? The best view on campus is on the sixth floor of the Academic and Research Building facing east. You get an amazing view of the city and arch!

Why do you want to be a pharmacist? I want to be a pharmacist so I can continue my family tradition and help make a difference in my community.

Why did you choose STLCOP? I am the fifth member of my family to attend STLCOP. I chose this school because of the high quality education level and history of the school is above all others.

Favorite class: Pathophysiology

Future career plans: After graduation, I plan to pursue an MBA and work for a pharmaceutical company.

Advice for incoming students: My advice for incoming students is do not be afraid of hard work. Nothing great in this world was ever achieved easily, put forth your greatest effort and you will succeed in all that you do.

What is one of your unique talents? I play the ukulele.

Tanner Bross, P1 Hometown: Wentzville, MO

Activities: Student Government Association (SGA) and Lambda Chi Alpha

Why did you choose STLCOP? It’s close to home and I love the small-school environment.

Favorite class: Organic Chemistry and Anatomy

Best part about STLCOP: I love how everyone knows everyone, so it’s easy to get help with something that you’re struggling with. Also, the new Academic and Research Building is really cool!

Advice for incoming students: Study a lot, but remember to have fun and get involved as well!

Why did you get involved in the student ambassador program? I loved hearing the opinions of students when I was still in high school, and I wanted to be able to give future students the same information

Where is your favorite place to eat in Central West End? West End Wok on Laclede

Why did you choose STLCOP? I chose STLCOP, for one, the proximity to my house (ten-minute drive) and two, I heard great things, and met some amazing people who had graduated from here. The school has a rich history and a passion to help students strive now and in the future.

Best part about STLCOP: Everyone is in it together. We are all here to help. No matter who you talk to, we can help you figure out a problem or refer you to someone who can help you.

Future career plans: I want to pursue a law degree after pharmacy school, hopefully go on to successfully practice pharmaceutical law.

Why did you choose to become a student leader? Student leaders are people that others look up to. I get asked a lot of questions daily about what’s going on in a specific class, or what’s going on with the school and all of the changes that are going on. Being a student leader is about being the connection between the faculty and the students at the College.

Why do you want to be a pharmacist? I want to be a pharmacist because I’ve been interested in health care for a long time. When I was 9 years old, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I decided to go into pharmacy because I realized the importance of medication. I want to help those in the community get the best treatment available.

Best part about STLCOP: The best part about STLCOP is the size of the school. It’s a smaller college of pharmacy, which allows students to develop a stronger support system with friends and classmates.

Future career plans and/or specific area of pharmacy you are interested in: I’m interested in community pharmacy after graduation. I currently work at CVS and I love counseling patients and helping them find products that work best for them.

Advice for incoming students: I would advise incoming students to get involved. Joining an organization is a great way to meet new people. Another important piece of advice is making sure to set aside time to study. Having time to study in advance helps make the transition smoother. It also helps students from feeling overwhelmed.

Why did you get involved in the student ambassador program? Coming to STLCOP was one of the best decisions I have made. I wanted to be a student ambassador so that I could help prospective students make the decision to come to here.

What is your favorite STLCOP tradition? My favorite STLCOP tradition is the Annual Variety show. There is an individual, group, and fraternity competition. It’s a lot of fun and definitely entertaining.

Why did you choose STLCOP? I love the biomedical complex that STLCOP is part of and the great location allows students to have more networking opportunities and experiences in the surrounding health care facilities.

Best part about STLCOP: I love that STLCOP is one of the oldest and established pharmacy schools in the nation. I trust that their facilities and curriculum will help me learn and prepare to be a trusted and successful pharmacist after graduation.

Future career plans: I’m interested in pursuing a career in the pharmaceutical industry, clinical pharmacy, or community pharmacy.

Advice for incoming students: Since STLCOP offers an amazing opportunity for students to engage in an accelerated pharmacy program, do not be intimidated by the course load. Each person is able to be successful in this top-notch, accelerated program.

What’s the most interesting thing you have learned while attending STLCOP? STLCOP has given me insight and showed me how to be a true professional in health care. Throughout my years of education at STLCOP, I have become more passionate and seek to excel in the health care profession to fully provide high quality care for future patients.

What is your favorite thing to do for fun? I love to find new restaurants and dessert places in St. Louis! St. Louis has an immensely dense culture that I am still trying to learn about!

Why do you want to be a pharmacist? I have always been interested in the medical field and loved science. In high school, I decided that I wanted to be a physical therapist or pharmacist. I invested more than 20 hours of observation toward entering a physical therapy program and I also shadowed a pharmacist. After all of my observations, I decided that physical therapy was just too boring for me. Pharmacists have such a large role in every person’s life, which I love. They are able to see patients all day long and help them feel better.

Why did you choose STLCOP? I chose STLCOP because it is close to home. I wanted to have a college experience, while still being able to go home whenever I wanted. I love that STLCOP is a small community. Additionally, everyone at STLCOP is in the same boat. If you have a problem with something, chances are someone else is having the same problem. There will likely be someone on campus that can help you. It’s nice being a tight-knit family.

Best part about STLCOP: Everyone is in the same profession and each person knows exactly what you are going through. At times, it can be tough, but we always have each other.

Advice for incoming students: My advice for incoming students is to take the curriculum seriously. Although this is college, make sure you know the difference between the time for fun and the time to study.

What is your favorite STLCOP memory? My favorite STLCOP memory is from when I was freshman and we had a snow day. During the snow day, many of the girls from the third floor gathered in my suitemates’ room and we watched movies all day long. We all knew that one snow day did not mean that the rest of the week was over, yet we all collectively decided that since the College was closed for the day, so was our minds.

Where is your favorite place to eat in Central West End? Tortillaria has the BEST salad ever. It is called the Aztec salad and it is awesome!

Why do you want to be a pharmacist? I want to make a difference in the communities that have raised me and I believe it is a responsibility to pour back into communities that have poured into me. Additionally, as a pharmacist, I believe privilege is attached to being educated, therefore I consider it an honor and obligation to serve our patients to improve health care and to change the way our profession is viewed.

Advice for incoming students: Be yourself and never change for no one, rather change the ways in which you are looking to attain your own goals.

What are your academic interests? I enjoy leading teams and motivating others, so I believe academia is something that I would consider in the future along with residency.

What is your favorite thing to do for fun? In order of priority: Anything adventurous (skydiving), sleep, and trying out new cuisines.

If you had a superpower, what would it be? Why? The ability to cure diseases would be the best superpower because the world would be able to have a chance at experiencing a healthy life. In addition to my superpower, I would love to have the ability to work on changing the way people think about others.

What are some fun facts about you? I am a licensed insurance agent in Georgia.

Favorite class: My favorite class has been pathophysiology. I enjoyed learning about disease states and being able to identify them on patient cases.

Best part about STLCOP: The best part about STLCOP are the numerous opportunities to succeed. As students, we are able to join nationwide organizations, take part in professional research, participate in curriculum evaluations, and develop new clubs on campus. There are endless amounts of opportunities to learn and grow at STLCOP.

Advice for incoming students: I encourage incoming students that time management, motivation, and sleep are the key resources for success at this school.

How does getting involved complement your studies? I have found that being a part of research has helped my studies. In a recent project, I have been looking at patients’ profiles and assessing their likelihood of having another heart attack or stroke. When I study, these risk factors are incredibly easy for me to remember because I have worked with them for so long.

Where is your favorite study spot? My favorite study spot on campus is the study room on the second floor of the new library. My favorite study spot off campus is the local Starbucks on the corner of Maryland Plaza.

Why did you choose STLCOP? I chose STLCOP because of the small class sizes and the tight-knit community feeling. Also, the program is one of the best in the Midwest.

Best part about STLCOP: The best part of STLCOP is meeting people and making great friendships.

Advice for incoming students: I would advise incoming students to not only focus on grades, but make sure you have fun and enjoy your college experience.

Why did you get involved in the Student Ambassador Program? I wanted to get involved in the student ambassador program because I wanted to be a representative of the school and share my experiences with prospective students.

How do you balance the demands of pharmacy school and still find time to enjoy extracurricular activities? I balance the demands of pharmacy school and still have time to be involved on campus by organizing and prioritizing. I use my extracurricular activities to give me a break from the studying that I have to do.

What is your favorite thing to do for fun? My favorite thing to do for fun is go out and enjoy the city with my friends.

Why did you choose STLCOP? During a high school college open house, STLCOP was located in the back corner of my cafeteria. After talking to the recruitment officer, STLCOP sparked my interest and after attending the STLCOP spring open house, I knew the College would be a great fit!

Advice for incoming students:

• Try to meet everyone in your graduating class. • Attend tutoring because it really helps with all of your classes. • Get involved! Joining on campus organizations helps you meet people who have similar interests and helps you make new friends.

What is your favorite STLCOP memory? Seeing the new building and being one of the first students to use it was an amazing experience.

Why do you want to be a pharmacist? I want to become a pharmacist because there are many places a Pharm.D. can take you.

Future career plans: After graduation, I would like to get involved in industry pharmacy.

Advice for incoming students: My advice for incoming students is to always be nice to our lovely lunch ladies. They will be your best friends on campus.

How do you balance the demands of pharmacy school and still find time to enjoy extracurricular activities? Balancing extracurricular activities with school can be tough. The key is to find something you enjoy. It will give you the best study break and allow you to meet other people who are interested in the same things!

What’s your favorite memory about a STLCOP faculty member? My favorite memory about a STLCOP faculty member is about two people, Mr. and Mrs. B Walter. They threw a Halloween party at their house for a couple of their classes and it was awesome! It really made me appreciate how caring the professors are at the College!

What is your favorite hobby? I am a musician! Any chance I have to go to the studio, you will find me there!

Mallory Mensing, P2 Hometown: Breese, IL

Activities: Kappa Epsilon, Student Ambassador, Volleyball

Why do you want to be a pharmacist? I want to make a difference in patients’ lives and work directly with patients.

Why did you choose STLCOP? The tight-knit community that STLCOP had to offer really appealed to me.

Best part about STLCOP: The College is like one big family.

Advice for incoming students: Take life/school one day at a time, and do not get too hung up on the little things. In the end, everything will always turn out alright.

What are people like at STLCOP? People at STLCOP are very genuine and willing to help each other.

Why did you choose STLCOP? I chose STLCOP because of many reasons. One being its incredible location within a premier biomedical complex. We are located amongst other wonderful medical facilities that provide STLCOP students with incredible opportunities to grow and collaborate with other health care professionals.

Best part about STLCOP: The best part about STLCOP is the amazing and unique bonds students are able to form here, not only between other students, but with professors too. The small campus allows for students to bond over classes, organizations, and even off campus activities. It's really a close-knit community here at STLCOP.

How does getting involved complement your studies? Getting involved is certainly a complement for studies here at STLCOP. Getting involved in organizations, sports, working, or volunteering in a pharmacy helps students to learn time management and teaches them the importance of quality versus quantity. When we are involved in other activities, study time becomes more about the quality of studying and less about the hours we have spent looking at a textbook. Time management is the number one key to success at STLCOP.

Why do you want to be a pharmacist? I’ve always been interested in the different types of medication on the market and I love interacting with people in a health care setting. A degree in pharmacy gives you so many different job options.

Best part about STLCOP: The support system – everyone always supports each other when someone is struggling with something in school or life.

Advice for incoming students: Don’t start school thinking it is going to be the longest seven years of your life – it will be some of the best years of your life and it will fly by! The friendships and the knowledge you will gain at this school will be something you carry with you for a lifetime.

What specialization of pharmacy are you most interested in? As of now, I am most interested in finding a job that involves treating the geriatric population. By having a very close relationship with my grandparents my whole life, I have developed a huge soft spot for the elderly and I would love nothing more than to help them maintain their health.

What is your favorite thing to do for fun? I love going for runs in the park and hanging out with my team.

Best part about STLCOP: The new building (you’ll know what I mean when you come check it out)!

What was your first impression of STLCOP? Way before the new building existed, I thought the campus was really small and I knew for a fact that I would be missing out on the “college experience” that my friends would be talking about back at home. However, our campus is growing in various ways, and I believe it has a lot of charm. I’ve learned to embrace our campus with pride. Now I see it as my friends missing out on a tight, connected community called STLCOP.

What’s the most interesting fact you have learned while attending STLCOP? I personally thought college was supposed to be scary because you are all on your own. However, at STLCOP, the faculty, staff, and students are all willing to help you as long as you reach out to them.

What are people like at STLCOP? Everyone is super friendly. They are all working together because we are in the same curriculum reaching for the same goal, graduating with a Pharm.D.

Why do you want to be a pharmacist? I want to be a pharmacist because I love working within the community and doing things in which I know I am making a difference. As a pharmacist, I am able to partner with other health care providers to improve the well-being of my patients.

Do you live in the residence hall? This is my third year living in the Residence Hall, and I hope to live on campus for the rest of my time here. My favorite part about living on campus is the convenience. I am within a 5 minute walking distance to all of my classes or any on campus activity. I have hot food prepared for me each meal so I don’t have to worry about spending time to cook. I can take a nap between classes. I never have to worry about lugging everything I may need for a day around because I can always go back to my room. I don’t have to worry about my safety getting home or someone breaking in because our campus security is here 24/7.

What’s the most interesting fact you have learned while attending STLCOP? The most interesting thing I’ve seen or learned while attending STLCOP was a eutectic. In case you didn’t know, a eutectic is our mascot. Mortarmer McPestle or Morty is a eutectic and the coolest mascot I have ever seen. We are proud to have Morty ranked in the top 10 of the most interesting mascots by ESPN. You’re probably still wondering what a eutectic is. In reality, a eutectic does not look like our Morty. It is the state in which mixing two solids forms a liquid. This is because the temperature when mixing the solids is in fact lower than the temperatures of each solid individually. In our chemistry lab, we get to make a eutectic – super exciting!

Best part about STLCOP: The best part about STLCOP is the new Academic and Research Building, which has an amazing amount of study space!

Advice for incoming students: As an RA, I have so much advice for incoming students. The biggest advice that I can give you is that your college experience is your own. You get to decide your path in college. No other student can decide how you will do in a class or how hard it will be for you!

Do you live in the residence hall? I have lived in the residence hall for the past five years, of which four years have been as an RA. Although I am biased, I can tell you that it’s amazing to get ready, eat breakfast, and walk to class all in a 25 minute span, which allows me a lot of extra sleep and less stress. For the freshmen and sophomores who live on campus, there is such a special camaraderie that is present in the Residence Hall.